Happy Little Painters: Bob Ross-Inspired Art for Mental Health
The year is 1983. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is released. David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty disappear. Sally Ride breaks the glass ceiling into space. And on public television, Bob Ross, a man with big hair and a soft voice, introduces viewers to The Joy of Painting, filling living rooms and canvases with “happy little trees” for 31 seasons over the next 11 years.
If you are old enough to remember that, congratulations! You’re eligible for healthy aging programs sponsored by Healthy St. Pete.
A division of the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department, Healthy St. Pete’s mission is to make the healthy choice the easy choice, for all ages. When the program started in 2016, the focus was on physical health: physical activity, fitness, nutrition. “But through COVID and the last few years, there’s just been this resounding need for mental health programming,” said Meagan Young, Health Programs Supervisor. “We have a pillar called Healthy Minds, and we’re looking at new and innovative ways that we can specifically target mental health, mental well-being, flourishing in the community. You know leisure, hobbies – that’s such a big part of health and enjoying your life.”
Healthy St. Pete serves as a capacity builder for the parks and rec department, pioneering programs, fostering collaboration, and facilitating resource accessibility to elevate health as a shared priority. It utilizes Areas of Focus to compartmentalize a broad range of goals, including Healthy Physical Activity, Healthy Aging, Healthy Minds, Healthy Eating and Nutrition, and Health Education. But most programs, even if sorted into a compartment, touch on several goals. “Total Wellness” is in the center of a Venn Diagram where all those Areas of Focus overlap.
In August this year, Healthy St. Pete offered a pilot program under Healthy Minds called “Pelican Painters” at Roberts Recreation Center, comprised of four separate, guided painting classes. Each class was “alla prima” – an Italian phrase for creating an entire painting in one sitting – just as Bob Ross did on The Joy of Painting. Participants could register for however many classes they wanted, all supplies were provided, and it was free.
Participant Susan Rosenbaum was one of several Pelican Painters who has taken advantage of numerous Healthy St. Pete program offerings. “I have been doing Healthy St. Pete activities since I moved here back in 2021,” she said, “Anything Dakota [Priest, Community Health Leader] and Rhenelle [McSween Navarro, Health Program Specialist] put together I’ll do, because they always have great projects and events.”
To realize Pelican Painters, Healthy St. Pete partnered with Diversity Arts, Inc., a 501(c)3 founded by local artist John Gascot. The mission of Diversity Arts, Inc. is to uplift communities by providing a safe environment, guidance, and materials for creative self-discovery – a mission that aligns perfectly with Healthy St. Pete’s application of therapeutic painting for improved mental health. And tying everything together: the program’s own Bob Ross, by way of a Certified Ross Instructor.
Bob Ross taught a wet-on-wet technique using oil paints that turned a blank canvas into a serene landscape in less than 30 television minutes. But he was more than a painting instructor; he was very nearly a guru. With a soothing voice and gentle demeanor, he infused his brush strokes with encouraging sentiments like, “Anyone can paint. All you need is a dream in your heart and a little practice.” The canvas was a metaphor for life. “Gotta have opposites: dark and light, light and dark in a painting. It’s like in life. Gotta have a little sadness once in a while, so you know when the good times come.” “It’s hard to see things when you are too close – take a step back and look.” And of course: “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” Bob Ross walked so the Calm app and ASMR could run – a workplace motivational poster incarnate. And it worked because it was genuine.
Bob Ross the man passed away 30 years ago. But Bob Ross, Inc. is going strong, licensing art supplies, branding products, and certifying instructors in landscape, floral, wildlife, and portrait methods. There are more than 1,500 certified teachers worldwide holding workshops every day, and one such instructor is Tricia Lynn Bush.
Based out of Studios@5663, the same Pinellas Park space as Diversity Arts, Bush holds three Bob Ross Master Level certifications. She also has a master’s degree in nursing with a specialization in adult education and brings her years in the healthcare industry and passion for teaching to her work as an art instructor, making her an apropos fit for a Healthy St. Pete initiative.
Bush took participants through the full process, starting with coating the canvases with Liquid White so the oil paints could move freely. The inspiration for the piece was a forest by the water, complete with happy clouds and happy little trees. Walking around the room when everyone finished, participant Susan Rosenbaum remarked, “I love how we all did the same thing, and they’re completely different.”
“The first week was a resounding success,” said Dakota Priest, whom supervisor Meagan Young credits with realizing this initiative. “Roughly half the participants had never painted before in their life, and every single piece came out amazing.” Priest said this was a surprisingly easy program to get off the ground, thanks to Roberts Recreation Center and their newfound artistic partner. “Diversity Arts was ready to step up and provide something great for the community.”
When asked what her favorite aspect of this program has been, Rosenbaum replied, “Just being able to laugh at my mistakes and let go of my perfectionism.” The class is not about walking out the door with a masterpiece – although for the people who have never picked up a paint brush or worked with oil paint, what they created in the span of two hours rightfully could be a masterpiece. The class is about the health benefits of socializing, trying something new, and most importantly, having fun. Because in the words of Bob Ross, “If what you’re doing doesn’t make you happy, you’re doing the wrong thing.”
If Pelican Painters is something you’d love to see offered again, let Healthy St. Pete know. Contact info and details on all currently programming are available at healthystpetefl.com.
